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~~~~~~~~~~several months and near-lethal incidents later~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kakuzu had utterly given up on trying to get rid of his nickname, and now endured the hated term in miserable silence. Fortunately for him, Hidan had resigned himself to calling him ‘Kuzu only at certain times, so it wasn’t completely unbearable.

Completely being the key term.

Anyhow, the banker and zealot were off on another mission. It was an assassination, just like their last two dozen missions or so. Pein had finally figured out that no matter what kind of mission he sent them on, Hidan usually ended up killing everyone, so assassination just made things easier for the entire organization.

Unfortunately, this particular assignment got out of hand. Maybe it was because Pein’s info on the building’s layout was outdated. Maybe it was because there were two hundred guards, armed to the teeth in weaponry. Or maybe it was because half the guards were deranged pyromaniacs who could use fire jutsu. Whatever the reason, the fight got WAY out of hand, and pretty soon everyone was at everyone else’s throat, and the two Akatsuki members could only dodge the attacks and pray the idiots would kill each other, while the castle burned around them.

….“HA! Too fucking easy,” Hidan laughed, kicking aside a dead body.

“Don’t be so cocky. If these morons hadn’t gone at each other, you and I would both be on the ground right now, instead of these guys.” Kakuzu was currently repairing some of his stitches.

“Ahh, fucking lighten up, asshole! It could have happened, but it fucking didn’t, so just-” Hidan looked down at the body he’d just kicked, and his eyes widened. “SHIT!” he jumped back, confusing the banker for a moment.

BOOOOOOOOOM

Dammit, the ninja had stuck a paper bomb to his chest! Hidan managed to get out of the way, leaping into the burning building to avoid the blast.

CREEEEEAAAAK

“Shit!” Hidan looked up to see the roof caving in. He shut his eyes. Immortal or not, this was gonna hurt like hell. Hidan waited for the feeling of burning wood crushing him.

WHAM

The air was knocked out of the Jashinist as he felt something slam into him from the side. Whatever it was crashed to the ground with him. “Oof!” Once the world stopped moving, Hidan opened his eyes.

Kakuzu was holding him.

Or more specifically, had wrapped his arms tightly around the immortal’s thin frame, crushing his ribcage. “……….Kakuzu, you can fucking let go. I’m fine, dammit.”

The banker seemed to realize what he was doing and immediately released his partner, backing up several feet and rising from the ground. “Come on. Our mission’s done.” Hidan nodded and rose to his feet, slightly dazed, following his partner out of the castle, which was completely engulfed in flames.

An uncomfortable silence followed them on their way back, and neither one of them could think of something to say. Kakuzu finally spoke up. “Hidan, about what happened back there-“

“Chill, I get why you did it.”

Kakuzu stared. “You do?”

“Yeah, it would have taken to much damn time to fucking fix me if that damn building crushed me, right?”

“…”

Hidan raised a brow. “I’m right, right?”

“Don’t let it happen again,” Kakuzu muttered, quickening his pace. Hidan shrugged and followed close behind.

A while later they got off the road and set up camp, spreading their cloaks on the ground, preparing to go to sleep. Hidan flopped down and shut his eyes, body completely exhausted. He relaxed his body, about to drift off. “Hidan.” Oh great.

“What?” he mumbled.

“Can we- look, I just- we need to talk.”

Hidan groaned. “Can’t it wait ‘til morning?”

“No, it can’t.”

Hidan groaned again and sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “Dammit, what the fuck is it?!” he muttered.

Kakuzu ignored the swearing. He took a breath, knowing he had to hurry before he lost his nerve completely. “Hidan, there was a reason I saved you earlier.”

“Yeah, I know. You didn’t want to waste time patching me up. Can we fucking go to sleep now?” Hidan was getting really annoyed really fast.

“That’s not why.” Hidan raised a brow. Ok, now he was curious. “Look, when I saw the roof caving in…I just freaked out. I didn’t even think about you being immortal; I just reacted.”

“That’s normal, most people fucking forget I’m immortal, so-“

“Will you let me finish?” Hidan frowned and nodded. “Alright. Look, I didn’t react like that because I’d have to fix you, or because you’re my partner. I saved you because I was fucking scared you’d get hurt.” He shut his eyes. “Hidan, I don’t want you to get hurt, period. And that’s because I really like you.” He looked up.

Hidan’s brain had shut down. “Wait, did you just say….what I think you said?” He began rubbing the back of his head. “Kakuzu, do you mean friend like, or-“

“I mean I fucking like you, Hidan. How clear do I have to make it?” Kakuzu sighed and lay down, turning his back to his partner. “Forget it. I don’t expect you to return my feelings or anything; I just wanted to make it clear why I saved you. You can go to sleep now.”

Hidan lay down and curled into a ball, mind racing. How the hell was he supposed to go to sleep now?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next few days were filled with awkward silence, but this time neither of them dared to break it. Hidan was desperately trying to figure out what the hell he should do; he didn’t want to get stuck with a new partner, but he wasn’t sure if he could stay with Kakuzu now. “Maybe, if I could just talk to him again…Kakuzu.” His partner started at the noise and turned to look at him. “Yes?”

“Look, about what you told me-“

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

The two Akatsuki jumped back. “What the fuck?!” About twenty enemy shinobi appeared form the forest. “Well, what do you know. I guess some of those punks survived.”

“Yeah,” Hidan replied, gripping his scythe and shifting to a fighting position. “But they’re so fucking pathetic it took them this long to catch up with us.” He grinned. “Let’s go.” They charged.

At first, the fight went well. Most of their enemies went down with no problems, but the remaining fighters were getting better about dodging their attacks, and attacking on their own. Hidan was about to rip one of them in half, when something in his peripheral vision stopped him.

Kakuzu was fighting seven to one, and losing.

Despite his best efforts, his wounded body couldn’t keep up with the enemies, and he was barely able to block and dodge their attacks. They had figured this out, and were attacking from all angles, using countless combinations, just trying to find an opening or a weak spot on him. Suddenly, one of them ran up behind him and ran a katana through his back. Kakuzu coughed up blood as he sank to his knees.

“BASTARDS!”

Kakuzu saw a flash of movement and heard a blood-chilling screech. The man who’d run him through had just been sliced open, blood spilling out of his still-living body. “You’re gonna fucking pay for that!” Hidan screamed, raising his blade and turning to the other assailants. Kakuzu’s eyes widened as Hidan began to tear them apart. He’d seen Hidan mad, but this was just….indescribable malice. Finally, when they were all dead, Hidan stopped, eyes wide with rage and chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath.

Kakuzu slowly rose to his feet; thank god for those extra hearts. “Hidan?” the Jashinist turned to him, still panting. “Yeah?”

“You ok?”

Hidan snorted. “Yeah. Just got a little pissed, ok?” he looked around at the carnage. “I guess I went a little overboard, huh?”

“Yes, yes you did.” The banker looked at his partner from head to foot. “Hidan.”

“Yeah?”

“What were you trying to say earlier?”

Hidan looked away. “It was nothing. Let’s go.” he turned to walk away.

“Why don’t I believe that?” Kakuzu walked after his partner. “Tell me.”

“I said it was fucking nothing!”

Kakuzu raised a brow. “Hidan, if this is about what I said, I’m sorry. But that’s how I feel. I said you don’t have to like me. Hell, you can just keep hating me-“

“I DON’T FUCKING HATE YOU!” Hidan plunged his scythe into one of the dead bodies and spun around to glare at the banker.

Kakuzu’s eyes widened slightly. “Hidan-“

“I DON’T FUCKING HATE YOU, I FUCKING LIKE YOU TOO! THAT’S WHY I STAY WITH YOU EVEN THOUGH YOU’RE AN ASS, THAT’S WHY I WON’T LET YOU STAY MAD AT ME, AND THAT’S WHY I’M MAKING A JASHIN-DAMNED FOOL OF MYSELF RIGHT NOW! I FUCKING LIKE YOU!” Kakuzu stared at his partner in stunned silence, while Hidan glared at him, face red. “There, I said it.” He turned around and walked away, sitting down on the ground and curling up into a ball.

At first, Kakuzu wasn’t sure how to react. Slowly and cautiously, as if he were walking on eggshells, he approached his partner. “Hidan.”

“What, dumbass?”

Kakuzu ignored the insult. “If you felt like that, why didn’t you say something?”

Hidan’s answer was muffled, due to the fact that he’d buried his face in his knees. Kakuzu kneeled down and tilted his head up. “What was that?”

“……I thought you were fucking lying.”

Kakuzu blinked. “You what?”

“You heard me. I thought-“

WHAM

“What the fuck?!” Hidan’s decapitated head screamed. “Ok, I fucking take it all back! You a fucking greedy heathen who should burn in hell! I fucking hate you, asshole!”

Kakuzu chuckled and picked him up. “Then don’t call me a liar.” He began stitching Hidan’s head back on his body. “Because I wasn’t lying.” He finished stitching up Hidan. For a moment, all was still. Then without warning, he pulled down his mask and kissed the Jashinist.

Hidan didn’t even have time to register what was happening before Kakuzu pulled away and stood, walking in the direction he presumed the base was in. He rose to his feet and followed.

It looked like the awkward silence had decided to return. “Over my fucking dead body. ‘Kuzu.”

The banker grunted in reply and kept walking.

“Jashin dammit, wait!” Hidan grabbed his partner’s arm and dug his heels into the ground, effectively stopping the banker. Kakuzu turned and raised a brow at his partner. Hidan had an uncertain look on his face. It was kinda cute, actually.

Hidan took a deep breath. “Can I have another one?” he blushed.

“Hmm? Another what?”

Hidan’s uncertainty turned to anger. “You fucking know what! That damn kiss back there sucked, so I want another one, dammit!” Kakuzu’s eyes widened. “Is that ok?” Hidan asked looking away, uncertainty back on his face and in his voice.

Kakuzu slowly reached up and pulled down his mask. He tilted Hidan to look at him and give him another kiss. The immortal quickly wrapped his arms around his partner’s neck, to prevent his escape. Their kiss only lasted a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity. When they finally, broke away, Hidan was grinning widely. “Thanks, ‘Kuzu.”

The banker pulled his mask back up. “Come on, we need to get going.” He started back down the road, his partner following him. “And you’re welcome.”